Ruder Finn Asia the award-winning communications consultancy, has launched the latest version of its SONAR crisis management simulation platform. 

Ruder Finn Asia has identified the key operational implications of being unprepared for a crisis or issue as a disorganised response, scattered decision-making, absence of strategy and no sense of mission. This translates to loss of narrative, loss of control and loss of value. Ruder Finn Asia’s experience has also identified the hallmarks of companies that emerge well from a crisis: preparation, leadership, action and communication.

Charles Lankester, EVP, of Global Risk at Ruder Finn Asia said today, “ Reputation is a primary global business risk, but most companies are unprepared and under-resourced in the event of an issue. We are the risk management partner of choice for hundreds of corporations and bring experience across Hong Kong, Mainland China, Asia-Pacific and globally.”

David Ko, managing director at Ruder Finn Interactive (RFI), Ruder Finn’s digital consultancy, said today, “The crisis landscape now evolves at an ever-faster pace, so we continually upgrade SONAR to reflect this new environment. New threats such as deepfakes, voice cloning and bots now require crisis management with technology that meets the challenge.

Previously, we embedded generative AI into SONAR’s operation, harnessing the power of ChatGPT to create multimedia injects that simulate interactions with key stakeholders such as government regulators, activist shareholders, protesting employees and consumer groups. SONAR 5.5 now streamlines and presents additional interactions visually so that participants can easily track and manage their crisis decisions and actions. 

Ko adds, "The core of SONAR’s value, however, remains the expert guidance and coaching conducted by trainers and their real-time feedback on client team dynamics and effectiveness. This work also incorporates a significant predictive component, identifying potential areas for future concern and pre-emptive strategy and planning.”

Atul Sharma, CEO of Ruder Finn India and Head, of Middle East said, “In today's dynamic business landscape, proactive crisis preparedness is key to protecting your company's image and strength. Leveraging cutting-edge AI capabilities, SONAR 5.5 isn't just a tool—it's our way of giving businesses the power to steer through stormy seas.”